The Importance of Brand Liking and Brand Trust in Consumer Decision Making: Insights from Bulgarian and Hungarian Consumers During the Global Economic Crisis

This paper presents the research findings of a global brand study conducted during the recent global economic crisis. The study sought to understand how four brand constructs (country-of-origin, brand familiarity, brand liking and brand trust) would influence global brand purchase intent in a sample of consumers living in Bulgaria and Hungary. Step-wise regression models were used for the study’s twenty brands for consumers living in both countries. The regression models indicated that brand liking and brand trust were the most important predictors of purchase intent in both groups. The paper discusses the relevance of these findings for marketing global brands in post-crisis environments in both countries.